TractionBus is a mobile start-up pitching competition for African businesses/startups. The TractionBus will be visiting 5 hubs in Gauteng to expose entrepreneurs to the startup ecosystem and the different offerings by the different hubs, 5 entrepreneurs are allocated to each hub and only one entrepreneur from each hub gets a seat on the TractionBus. The 5 winners from the 5 hubs will then participate in the finale for potential investment at #THUDfest2015 on the 18 November at 16:00 in front of investors and mentors. The purpose of the TractionBus is to connect, expose and celebrate the startup ecosystem participants as well as exposing entrepreneurs to the different offerings by each ecosystem participant.

StartUp Edge, the competition organisers, have partnered up with 5 hubs to ensure that entrepreneurs from different industries have access to resources, incubation and mentorship provide by these hubs. The five hubs are; The Innovation Hub in Pretoria, Riversands Incubation Hub  in Midrand, BizFarm also in Midrand, Alphacode in Sandton and Sophiatown Green incubator. JoziHub gets on board as a sponsor and will be providing technical assistance and coaching to the tech startups beyond the competition. The winning entrepreneurs will get prizes in excess of R200 000 in terms access to office space, mentorship and support to access markets and funding.

Participants can enter online by filling out the entry form on the StartUp Edge web site, and the main requirement is that the Business/startup must be less than two years old.

Entries will close on 31 October. 25 finalists will be announced on 4 November, the finalists will have to attend a pre-competition training session on 11 November. The competition will take place the following week, 18 November starting at The Innovation Hub in Pretoria and ending off at Sophiatown Green Incubator before heading to the finals at THUDFest. The public is invited to come to the finals at THUDFest to engage with the hubs and investors present on the day.

To learn more about the TractionBus or StartUp Edge please use the contact details below.

Contact Details,

Sibusiso Sagoda

011 050 1398 / 060 430 8462

sibusiso@startupedge.co.za

 info@startupedge.co.za